Don’t Tell Me: Madonna Banned From U.S. Theater Chain for Texting During Movie

Madonna has been banned from a movie theater chain for texting during a movie — even though her texting was NOT in a theater owned by the movie chain.

Here’s the story, as written by James Hibberd, our former TVWeek colleague at his current publication, Entertainment Weekly:

"Madonna was reportedly texting up a storm while attending the New York Film Festival premiere of ’12 Years a Slave’ last week and reacted in a rather spectacularly annoyed manner when asked to stop (‘It’s for business … enslaver!’)

"The [Texas-based] Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain has long had a strict no-talking and anti-texting policy for its theaters, and will eject any patron that violates the policy. So when word of the incident reached Alamo founder and CEO Tim League, he tweeted that Madonna would no longer be welcome at the chain until she ‘apologizes to movie fans.’

"Asked by EW if he was serious about the ban — at one point while defending his stance on Twitter he had called it a joke — League replied late Saturday, ‘Yeah, I’m serious, but I don’t think it really affects her life that much.’ "

A bit of an over reach by the theater CEO, don’t you think? Although I completely agree with the policy, to ban someone who hasn’t violated your policy in your theater is ridiculous. I’m just glad this control freak isn’t a judge with real authority.